


The Price of Failure

by GummySungShine



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Age Difference, Injury Recovery, Loqi hopped up on pain meds, M/M, mentions of minor character death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-28 11:18:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13902903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GummySungShine/pseuds/GummySungShine
Summary: After Loqi's run-in with the Lucian Prince and his retainers goes awry, Caligo assesses the damage caused.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place shortly after Loqi’s defeat at the Norduscaen Blockade.  
> Also gives a little explanation to the thought behind the odd team-up between them at Formouth Garrison.
> 
> Been sitting on this one for a while, only just got round to finishing it up :’)  
> So here it is. Just something short and sort of sweet.
> 
> Unbeta'd so there might be mistakes.

\---

 

“Where is he?”

Marching his way through into the medic wing with an air of restrained urgency, Caligo paid little mind to the commotion he was undoubtedly creating. His mind could focus on one thing and one thing only.

“Wh-who, Sir?” A nurse trailed behind him.

“Tummelt.” He snapped. The young nurse wasn't at fault, not at all, but the General needed to unleash his frustrations on somebody, and it just so happened that she was there.

“Room 9, Sir.” She answered, backing away in fear.

Of course they would give him his own room, Caligo thought. Even if they hadn't given him one, he was sure that Loqi would have demanded one anyway. The young General could be a right brat when he wanted to.  
Not bothering to knock, Caligo entered the room not knowing exactly what he’d find inside. All he knew was that Loqi had been defeated - badly - in battle, a battle that he shouldn't have even gone into alone in the first place.

With breath held in anticipation, the sight he was met with was both a comfort and a worry.  
Almost half of the left side of the blond’s face was covered in gauze and bandages, hiding the damage from view. A couple of fingers on his right hand were wrapped in splints, clearly broken, and his right leg from the knee down was wrapped in the same manner. But Loqi himself was awake, awake and looking directly at his visitor, with a somewhat lazy gaze - probably from being hopped up on pain meds, Caligo deduced.

“Hi, Cali.” Loqi greeted, very clearly disorientated from his medication.

“Loqi...” Closing the door behind him, Caligo let his guard down, his usually self-righteous and intimidating demeanour slipping away. “What happened to you?”

“Got my ass handed to me.” Came Loqi’s answer, rather ill-suited to his usual demeanor. “S’all Cor’s fault. He...he was there, you know?”

“Was he now?” Speaking with a seldom heard gentleness, he took a seat next to the young blond’s bedside.

Caligo knew of Loqi’s long-standing rivalry with the Immortal Marshal; it was difficult not to when all he complained about was the man himself. Topics of conversation often revolved around Cor and how much the blond loathed his very existence. He’d listened to his unyielding dislike day in and day out. Cor this, and Cor that. It never really ended.  
But Caligo listened to his griping out of love.

It was a semi well kept secret between the two of them - the fact that they were, in essence, an item. Some people assumed _something_ was going on between them, while others dismissed the idea completely. It didn't matter to Caligo, personally, what others decided to believe or not believe, they could think what they liked for all he cared.

“He humiliated me...again.” Loqi sulked. “Why can't I defeat him just once?”

Watching him suddenly start crying out of the blue - emotional instability obviously a side effect of the meds - Caligo moved forward towards the bed, wanting to comfort him but also not wanting to hurt him. He didn't know the full extent of his injuries, after all.

“Loqi, Loqi,” He made an attempt to soothe him, pulling off his gloves and reaching for the younger's uninjured hand. “It's alright.”

“Ow...” The blond whined, motioning idly to his face. “It hurts.”

“Well don't cry then, okay?”

“Okay.” Nodding sluggishly in reply, Loqi did as was asked, pouting as a small child would.

Taking a moment to really look him over fully, the truly sorry sight had Caligo cursing each and every Lucian to ever exist, be it their fault or not. Too many times had the Empire now been made a fool of. Too many chances had been taken, only be done in vain. He didn’t wish for Loqi to fail again, not when he knew the brash, young General was more than capable of success.

All he needed was a plan. A fool proof one. One that would almost guarantee the outcome to be in their favour. Yet it would be a while before Loqi would be up on his feet again.

“Will I be in trouble, Cali?”

Loqi’s question pulled the man from his wandering thoughts of revenge. Looking to his lover, he took hold of the blond’s hand again, reassuring him as best he could.

“No, I’ll make sure of that. Now rest; don’t worry yourself over it.” He urged him. “Together, we shan’t fail.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loqi's frustrations mount during his recovery process, leaving him to vent to Caligo about his misfortunes and impatience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (So this is now going to have multiple parts???)
> 
> I wasn't planning on this, but I suddenly remembered some fanart I came across that inspired this next part.  
> The art in question is [this piece here](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DSTJB8xVAAATZ82.jpg)  
> by twitter user [@Icelove4438](https://twitter.com/Icelove4438)
> 
> This is unbeta'd so there might be mistakes.

\---

“I never realised sitting around doing nothing could be so...boring.”

Attempting to focus his attentions on the book in-hand, all the young General could do was wish he were someplace else.  
The road to recovery, after his unfortunate run-in with the Lucian Prince and his retinue, was a slow and dull one. He’d been all but banned from most physical activity until his injuries healed, in particular his leg - which now rested snugly in a support brace while it continued to mend. Thankfully his face had been spared, leaving little to no evidence of wounds he’d sustained. Call him vain, perhaps even narcissistic, but looks were important to Loqi. Fretting over the state of his face had been the top worry for the blond, fearful he’d be marked for life in a place he couldn’t very well hide.

“I thought you’d enjoy the time off?” Caligo paused, looking up from the letter sitting upon his desk, still half-written thanks to his lover’s presence.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want Loqi around, quite the opposite, actually. But the blond _did_ serve as a noticeable distraction to his duties.

“A couple of days off would be fine.” Loqi closed his book, tapping his fingers along its cover in thought. “But this is excessive. I mean, I can get about now. There’s nothing stopping me.”

“You’re still not fit enough. Agitating injuries will only send you back to a hospital bed.”

Although knowing Caligo was right, it did little to ease the blond’s frustrations. All Loqi wanted was to be back out there doing things, planning his next ambush for the Prince, perhaps even locating a certain Immortal to take down.  
Talk of modifications to his Magitek armour had him positively buzzing with glee when he’d been informed, eager now more than ever to hop back into his MA-X Cuirass and deal out a heavy dose of revenge to the Lucian savages that put him in the position he found himself in.

“I hate sitting here doing nothing. Especially while they roam about freely. They need to be disciplined, put back in their place for what they did— to the both of us, no less.”

“And they will be.” Attempting to continue his letter, Caligo sought to ease his lover’s unrest with a few, well chosen words of assurance. “In due course.”

Taking his words with their aimed intent, Loqi let himself believe that would be the case, at least for the time being. It was difficult not to allow himself to be wound up by the whole ordeal, particularly after what the Prince and his retinue had attempted with Caligo. He’d been furious when he found out, marching - or more like hobbling - out of his hospital bed to seek out the man himself, just to see he was okay with his own two eyes.

“I was so worried about you, you know?” He spoke suddenly, half lost in his thoughts.

“Hm?” Looking to Loqi, the elder paused once again in his writing, hearing the sincere softness in his tone.

“At Fort Vaullerey.” Loqi clarified. “I can’t believe they tried to take you hostage. What nonsense.”

“I suppose they had their reasons. Things wouldn’t have had to get so messy if that old man had spoken up about the Prince.”

Killing Jared - one of House Amicitia’s most loyal servants - had been far too easy. The man’s stubbornness was the cause of his own death, Caligo reminded himself. Jared’s untimely passing could have been avoided, along with the Prince’s attempts at a hostage capture, if Caligo had gotten the information he needed.  
But that was in the past now.  
What was done, was done.

“I know.” The blond sighed. “Just...don’t do anything reckless again. At least not without me around.”

“Reckless?” The elder man chuckled, finding it funny how his lover spoke so boldly about recklessness. “Shouldn’t _I_ be the one giving _you_ this talk?”

Looking away in mild embarrassment, Loqi could see his point, it did seem a little ironic coming from him. “I suppose you’re right.” He mumbled.

Smiling with a fondness he kept only for his lover, Caligo took his concern to heart knowing it came from a place of care. “I’ll make sure we’ll be reckless together, next time.”


End file.
